See the best art in December

From Death to Death and Other Small Tales – masterpieces from the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the D Daskalopoulos Collection. Among the themes that run through this collection is the notion of the body as a source of creativity and the vessel of existential, social and ideological struggle is a compelling and repeatedly examined motif. At the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, 75 Belford Road, Edinburgh from 15 Dec to 8 Sep 2013. www.nationalgalleries.org

The Power of the Print: Leonard Beaumont Rediscovered, revisiting the dazzling array of work of this Sheffield born artist and designer, at the Graves Gallery, Surrey Street, Sheffied from 22 Dec to 14 Sep 2014. www.museums-sheffield.org.uk

Force of Nature: Picturing Ruskin’s Landscape, with paintings by Turner, F G Watts and the Pre-Raphaelites alongside works by contemporary artists including Julian Opie, Kathy Prendergast and George Shaw. At the Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate, Sheffield from 15 Dec to 23 June. www.museums-sheffield.org.uk

Twelve Vessels of Life, Love and Death – a small exhibition showing 12 individual silver cups, beakers and goblets based around the months of the year, all made by silversmith Michael Lloyd. In the silver galleries at the V & A, South Kensington, London until 7 July 2013.  

Portrait of a Lady; the life and passions of Lady Barber, at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham 14 Dec to 24 Feb. www.barber.org.uk

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Inspired by Lace. An exhibition by mixed media textile artist Jacqueline Lawrence inspired by Lady Barber’s personal lace collection, a selection of which will be included in the show. At Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham 14 Dec to 24 Feb. www.barber.org.uk

Hugh Buchanan: The Lineaments of Light. New watercolours inspired by rooms and the spaces between them in historic houses in England, Scotland and France from Blair Castle in Perthshire to the Palace of Versailles. At Francis Kyle Gallery, 9 Maddox Street, London W1 from 12 Dec to 21 Feb. www.franciskylegallery.com

Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition 2012 is at Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1 12 – 23 Dec. www.mallgalleries.org.uk

CLOSING SOON

‘Weaving The Century: Tapestry From Dovecot Studios 1912-2012′ – an exhibition celebrating 100 years of the Dovecot Studios, including outstanding and rarely seen tapestries, rugs and designs and highlighting the relationship between the well-known artists and the weavers at the Studios. At Compton Verney, Warwickshire, from October 20 to December 16. (See review in Country Life July 11, 2012). (www.comptonverney.org.uk)

The Unseen Rex Whistler – a select exhibition of paintings from private collections by the brilliant and elusive Rex Whistler, including eight privately owned landscape mural paintings done in 1936 for 36 Hill Street, Mayfair and never before been publically shown, is in the Yellow Room at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, 39 Brook Street, London W1 until 14 Dec.

Peter Blake; Rock Paper Scissors – at Waddington Custot Galleries, 11 Cork Street, London W1 until 15 Dec. www.waddingtoncustot.com

In Pursuit of Art: Charles Eastlake’s Journey from Plymouth to the National Gallery – investigating Eastlake’s artistic development in Plymouth and subsequent activities as a central figure in the Victorian art world – he is best remembered for being President of the Royal Academy and the first director of the National Gallery. At Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery, Drake Circus, Plymouth from 22 Sep to 15 Dec. www.plymouth.gov.uk

Winifred Nicholson: Music of Colour at Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street, Cambridge 29 Sep to 21 Dec. www.kettlesyard.co.uk

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Hughie O’Donoghue: Vivid Field
– selected works from a period of almost 30 years ,and an opportunity to see some of his most recent work. At Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria until 22 Dec. www.lakelandartstrust.org.uk

Simon Garden – new paintings; Richard Batterham – new ceramics; Small works for Christmas- small works by established and up-and-coming artists. At Beaux Arts, 12-13 York Street, Bath from 17 November to 22 December
01225 464850 www.beauxartsbath.co.uk

Higher Ground – Prints by Gerhart Frankl (1901-1965)
– many of Frankl’s technically inventive prints grew out of sketches made while touring the Alps on his BMW motorbike in 1928. They show his concern to portray structure, space and light in nature, reacting against the emotional Expressionism of other Viennese artists, such as Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka. Complementing Frankl’s work is a selection of prints by contemporaries such as Kokoschka and Georg Ehrlich, who like Frankl emigrated to England in the 1930s to escape the persecution of Jews. At Fitzwilliam Museum, Charrington Print Room, Trumpington Street, Cambridge from 16 Oct to 30 Dec. www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

Adrian Wiszniewski; New Works by the artist who came to prominence as one of the New Glasgow Boys who led the revival of figurative painting in Scottish art in the 1980s. At Beaux Arts London, 22 Cork Street, London W1 until 15 Dec. www.beauxartslondon.co.uk

Sir Alfred Munnings KCVO, PRA (1878-1959) – An Artist’s Life. Celebrating the life and work of the finest horse painter of the 20th century at Richard Green Gallery, 147 New Bond Street, London W1 until 14 Dec. www.richard-green.com

Georges Bernede – the advent of Abstraction in Bordeaux – discover an artist of the French school (born 1926) who began painting in the war years, developing a figurative expressionist style. He moved towards abstraction and, since then has gone on to refine and distil an intensely painterly language of great personal freedom and distinction. At Whitford Fine Art, 6 Duke Street, St James’s, London SW1 until 21 Dec. 020 7930 9332

Winter Glasscape, featuring affordable gifts and handmade glass, including a large selection of work by glass artist Adam Aaronson, whose studio is adjacent. At ZEST Contemporary Glass Gallery, Roby Place, London SW6 until 22 Dec. www.zestgallery.com

Leslie Marr at 90 – an exhibition of paintings at Piano Nobile/Robert Travers Works of Art, 129 Portland Road, London W11 from 23 Nov to 15 Dec. www.piano-nobile.com

Maria Carleton; Love on the Hunting Field – a collection of paintings which tell the story of the heiress, Miss Alicia Keene, as she catches her man, the noble but landless gent Sir James James. The romance takes place on the hunting field and around Miss Alicia’s country house, with a fox as an ever present character. At The Art Stable, Child Okeford, Blandford Forum, Dorset until 15 Dec. www.theartstable.co.uk

Dora Holzhandler: new paintings.  Born in 1928 into a family of Polish refugees, the artist moved to London in 1934. Her work is known for her naïve, evocative and ethereal imagery which reflects her life experiences and deep spirituality. At Sylvester Fine Art, 64 Belsize Lane, Hampstead, London NW3 from 25 Nov to 16 Dec. www.sylvesterfineart.co.uk

New Possibilities: Abstract Paintings from the Seventies – the work of 14 artists, including Frank Bowling RA, Graham Boyd, Albert Irvin RA, Tess Jaray RA, Desmond Rayner, Trevor Sutton and Gary Wragg, all born between 1922 an d1950. At The Piper Gallery, 18 Newman Street, London W1 until 21 Dec. www.thepipergallery.com

Gods and Heroes – a selection of paintings and drawings from 1620-1820 illustrating scenes and figures from Classical myths and legends, at Didier Aaron Ltd, Clifford House, 15 Clifford Street, London W1 from 30 Nov to 14 Dec. 020 7534 9100

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